Bean and pea pod splitter



May 212, 1956 F. s. HUGHES BEAN AND PEA POD SPLITTER Filed June 10, 1955INVENTOR. FRED HUGHES 3 PVZ' MpMZa/n ATTOIZMEY5 l r 2,746,458 Patented1956;

2,746,458 BEAN AND PEA Poi) SPLITTER Fred S. Hughes, Augusta, Ga.Application June 10, 1955, Serial No. 514,537 7 i 3 Claims. 01. 130- 30v The invention relates to food processing implements, and moreparticularly to an improved bean and pea pod splitter adapted to beemployedto expedite the shelling of beans and peas, and particularlyuseful'in the case of relatively large pods, such as those of limabeans.

A main object of the inventionis to provide a novel and improved beanand pea pod splitter which is simple in construction, which is easy touse, and which facilitates the removal of pods from beans and peas, andwhich is especially useful in removing the pods from lima beans. i

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved bean and peapod splitter employing, a conventional razor blade as a cutting elementthereof, the splitter being arranged so that the razor blade may bereadily replaced whenever required, the device involving relativelysimple components, being durable in construction, and being arranged toreadily and easilyslit a bean or pea pod as the b ean or pea pod isforced through the device and providing a means for splitting relativelylarge pods, such as those of lima beans.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved bean and pea pod splitterconstructedin accordance with the presportion with a generally C-shapedmember 13 adapted to be engaged with the edge of a table or shelf, the

bottom arm 14 of the member 13 being provided with a screw clamp 15,which, when tightened, clamps the bottom member 13 to the edge of atable or shelf, clamping force being exerted upwardly by the screwmember 15 with respect to a flange element 15' provided on member 13above the screw member 15, the edge of the table or shelf being receivedbetween the flange member 15' and the screw 15.' i

' The support member 12 is formed at its upper end with the head portion16 having the upwardly and rearwardly inclined top surface 17.Designated at 18 is a block member similar in shape to the head portion16 and being detachably secured thereto by a bolt 19 extending"transversely through the block member 18 and being threadedly engaged ina tapped transverse bore 19' provided in the head portion 16.

The head portion 16 is formed with the upstanding vertical lug 20 at itsouter side margin and the block member 18 is formed with the upstandingvertical lug 21 at the outer side margin thereof, the lugs 20 and 21 ofhead member, 16 and block member 18;

Rigidly securedto the upper rear portion of thelug 20 is a, transverselyextending pin member 23 which is engageable in a centrally aperturedboss 24 provided on the inside surface of the upper portion of lug 21.

\ face with. a channel 26, whereby spaced lugs, 27 and An additionalpin24 is rigidly secured to the forward portion of the lug 20, theflpin24being parallel to and spaced from the pin 23. b

Designatedat 25 isa guidearm which is pivoted .on the pin 23, said guidearm being formed at its rearsur- 28 are defined on the guide arm throughwhich the transverse pin 23 extends, as shown in Figure 3. Designated at29 is a coil spring which surrounds the pin 23 between the lugs 27 and28, one end of the spring, shown at 30 engaging'against the surface ofthe channel 26 below i the pin 23, and the. other end of the spring,shown at 31 being'anchored .on the pin 24, the coil spring 29 acting tobias the arm 25 downwardly toward the top surfaces'17 and 22 of headelement 16 and block member 18, namely, in a clockwise direction, asviewed in Figure 1.

The guide arm 25 is formed at its front surface with a downwardlyconvergent channel 32 facing the inclined surfaces 17 and 22 and ,beingformed to define a con vergent feed passage therewith to receive thebean or pea pods. e

The inside opposing surfaces of the elements 16 and 18 are formed withmating inclined recesses 33 and 34 adapted to receive the thickenedlongitudinal handle portion 35 of a conventionalr'a zor blade 36 withthe edge of the blade uppermost, as is clearly shown in Figures 2, 3 and4. The recesses 33 and 34 are inclined so as to generally parallel tothe inclined top surfaces 17 and 22, and guide pins 35 are provided onthe head 16 adjacent the recess 33 to engage in the guide opening 36'and guide notches 37' on the razor blade and in opposingrecesses 38 inthe block member 18 when the device is assembled in the mannerillustrated in Figures 1 and 3.

The top surfaces of the head 16 and block member 18 are generallyarcuately contoured along the edge of the blade 36 so as to rise abovethe intermediate portion of the blade edge and to expose the endportions of the blade, shown at 39 and 40., Thus, the upper end portion39 of the blade edge'projects into the small end of the convergent feedpassage defined between channel 32 of'arm 25 and the upper rear portionsof the surfaces 17 and 22. As shown in Figure 3, the upper rear portionsof surfaces 17 and 22 are contoured to define an upwardly concavechannel 41 facing and opposing the downwardly concave channel 32 of arm25. The rear end portion 39 of the razor blade projects upwardly andlongitudinally in the channel 41. Thus, when a pea pod is forcedlongitudinally through the aforementioned convergent feed passagebetween channels 32 and 41, the pod will be slit by the engagementthereof with the end 6 portion 39 of the razor blade, and the pod willbe cut posed forward portion 40 of the blade edge.

tate the guiding of the large pod 43 against the forward completelyalong its length after it is forced through the edge portion 40, theforward lower ends of the top surfaces 17 and 22 are recessed at 45 and46 adjacent ceive the edge portion of a relatively large pod, such asthe lima bean pod 43.

While a specific embodiment of an improved bean and pea pod splitterjhasbeen disclosed'in the foregoing description, it will be nnderstood thatvariousmodifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to,those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention except asdefined by the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimedis: e s

l. A bean and pea pod. splitter comprising an upstanding support memberformed with a head portion, a block member detachably secured to saidhead portion, said block member and head portion having upwardly andrearwar'dly inclined adjacent top surfaces, upstanding lug' members atthe upper outer portions of the top surfaces, a, guide arm pivotedbetween saidlug members for rotation therebetween, said guide arm: beingformed with a downwardly convergent channel facing said 'inclinedtopsurfaces andbeing formed to define a convergent feed passage therewith',spring means biasing said guide arm downwardly toward said top surfaces,and a blade having a straight edge secured between said head portion andblock member beneath said arm, said head portion and block member.being" arcuately contoured along the edge of the blade and rising abovethe intermediate portion of said edge, the end portions of said edgebeing exposed. j i

2. A bean and pea pod splitter comprising an upstanding support memberformed with a head portion, a block member detachably secured to saidhead portion, said block member and head portion having upwardly andrearwardly inclined adjacent top surfaces, upstanding lug members at theupper outer portions of said top surfaces, a guide arm pivoted betweensaid lug members for rotation therebetween, said guide arm being. formedwith a, downwardly convergent channel facing said inclined top surfacesand being formed to define a convergent feed passage therewith, springmeans biasing said guide arm downwardly toward said top surfaces, and ablade having a straight edge secured between said head portion and blockmember beneath said guide arm, said head portion and block member beingarcuately contoured alongthe edge of the blade and rising above theintermediate portion of said edge, one end portion of the blade beingexposed adjacent the forward lower ends of said inclined top surfaces,and the other end portion of the blade' being exposed adjacent'the rearupper ends of said inclined top surfaces.

'3. A beam and pea pod splitter, comprising an upstand flingsupport'member formed with a head portion, a block member detachablysecured to said head portion,

1 surfaces, a' guide arm pivoted between said lug members for rotation,therebetween, said guide arm being formed with a downwardly convergentchannel facing said inclined top surfaces and being formed to define aconvergent feed passagetherewith, spring means biasing said guide'armdownwardly toward said top surfaces, and a blade having a straight edgesecured between said head portion and block member beneath said guidearm, said headportion and block member'being arcuately contoured alongthe edge of the blade and rising above the intermediate portion of saidedge, one end portion of the blade being exposed adjacent the forwardlower ends of said inclined top-surfaces and the other end portion ofthe blade being exposed adjacent the rear upper ends of 'saidinclinedtop surfaces, the forward lower ends of said top surfaces beingrecessed adjacent said exposed one end portion of the blade to define agenerally V- shaped channel of substantial size to receive the edgeportion of a relatively large pod:

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,731,970 Hughes Jan. 24, 1956

